Sustainability Update, July 2008 A monthly update from the Sustainability Coordinator for members of the Santa Clara University community. Can't read it all in one sitting? Come back to this month's Sustainability Update in the left-hand navigation at Sustainability at SCU. |
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For the past five years, the GREEN Club has collected carpets in good condition. After being steam cleaned, the carpets are stored over the summer and re-sold to incoming students as both a fundraiser for the club and an opportunity for incoming students to learn about reuse. This year, unclaimed carpets (those not deemed clean enough to be reused next year) were recycled. Over 3,000 pounds of carpeting was recycled with SF Carpet Recycling.
News
New Resource: SLURP Projects
SLURP: Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project. Individual or research teams of students from CyPhi created posters to summarize their research from 2007-2008. Also featured is a documentary of SLURP's first year. See the students' projects.
Projects include:
- Bring Your Own Bottle
- The Culture of Sustainability
- Effects of Sustainability Across the Curriculum on Students' Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors
- Faculty Cope Through Hope
- Fair Trade Knowledge Decreases as Campus Involvement & Campaigning Decreases
- Santa Clara University Energy Footprint
- SCU Vegetarians and Vegans
- Slurp Energy Reduction Project
SCU green building mentioned in LA Times
Colleges, universities take the lead in building green. Los Angeles Times. July 7, 2008. Article by Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer. Read the article.
Spare the Air Alerts
Spare the Air Days are based on forecasts for high concentrations of ground-level ozone pollution. Clear skies, hot temperatures, and light winds will combine to produce poor air quality for the Bay Area. Air Alerts are provided by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
To help prevent smog people are encouraged to:
- Drive less
- Take public transit, walk or bike (visit 511.org for transit information)
- Carpool or vanpool with friends or co-workers
- Telecommute (work from home instead of driving to work)
- Refuel on the way home in the evening and don't top off
- Exercise in the morning before air quality becomes unhealthy
Monitor current air quality conditions and sign up for Spare the Air Alerts. Plan your commute online at 511.org.
Local job opportunity: Public Information Coordinator
Acterra, a 38-year old non-profit environmental organization whose mission is to bring people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet, is hiring a Public Information Coordinator. The Coordinator is responsible for proactively expanding and managing Acterra’s information and public education services. Responsibilities include: website development, outreach, public education, and information and referral. To Apply: e-mail a cover letter and resume to Debbie Mytels, Associate Director, Acterra: debbiem@acterra.org or fax to (650) 962-8234. Application deadline: July 18, 2008. Start date: Mid-August, 2008.
Events
For more events or information about events below, please visit the Sustainability Calendar.
Clean Tech Open: Renewable Energy Symposium
Monday, July 21 from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA
Renewable energy is clean and abundant, but the challenge is to innovate new ways to reach cost parity with gas and coal-fired power. What breakthrough disruptive technologies are there in the renewable space? Hear perspectives from PG&E, Google, clean tech VCs and policy experts to find out where they are investing, partnering, buying, and growing. RSVP and get directions.
Clean Tech Open: Energy Efficiency Symposium
Wednesday, July 30 from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
77 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA
Office buildings account for almost 40% of the nation's total energy consumption, but existing technologies can immediately reduce that load. In the near future, technology advancements could cut energy consumption by over 75%. Hear about the revolution for "Offices of the Future." PG&E, SDG&E and SCE will present their initiatives during a panel, moderated by Joel Makower, founder of Clean Edge and Greener World Media, Inc.
Cost is $20 for online registration and $30 at the door (cash only). FREE for paid contestants of the 2008 Clean Tech Open. Walk-ins are welcome, but space is limited. RSVP and for directions.
7th Annual UC/CSU/CCC Sustainability Conference
Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, August 3.
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
The UC/CSU/CCC Sustainability Conference was established in 2001 for the exchange of best practices between people engaged in or seeking to learn more about campus sustainability covering the spectrum from teaching and academic research to all aspects of campus operations. In 2008, the sustainability conference will be hosted at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, the first time ever at a California State University (CSU) campus! This year the theme will be "Putting Sustainability to Work". This theme calls on us to build a green economy and train our students for jobs in a sustainable world. Learn more about the conference.
What Can I Do?
Reduce: Carpool
Reduce the strain on your wallet and the release of greenhouse gasses by forming a carpool. Pay $250 for a parking permit (add to that the cost of gas) or pay nothing! Carpools that register with Campus Safety receive free parking on campus and each carpool member receives five parking passes for days they cannot carpool. Learn more about the Carpool Program. Not sure how to start a carpool? Visit the University's Transit Information page and click on RideMatch.
Reuse: Guess the photo!
The image to the right is: (click on the picture to enlarge)
- moldy chicken
- a partially composted to-go plate from Market Square
- sugar cookies with chocolate sprinkles
If you guessed option 2, you are correct. Campus Ministry's Matt Smith tested his worms' taste buds with Bon Appetit's new compostable plates. In just ten days, his wriggly friends consumed a to-go plate (same type of plate holding the specimens in this picture). Vermicomposting is a process that uses earthworms to consume organic waste. The end product (call it castings, mulch, or worm poop) is nutrient rich - containing more nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium than other soils. More information about vermicomposting. Photo by Melissa Reynen, Marketing Manager, Dining Services.
Recycle: New bulk paper recycling bins
Announcing the arrival of SCU's new bulk paper recycling bins! These green bins will replace the large brown or blue bins which can no longer be used indoors (according to fire regulations). These bins collect all paper types, including hard and soft cover books, textbooks, magazines, newspapers, used copy paper, and paper ream packaging. Some of these bins are designated for confidential paper shredding. Look out for the latest addition to our recycling and waste program.
Respect: Be a sushi source
The Monterey Bay Aquarium and Blue Ocean Institute are collaborating to create a sustainable seafood sushi pocket guide. They are looking for sushi connoisseurs to help them research. Survey submitters could win a Cooking for Solutions cookbook or a Seafood Watch reusable canvas tote bag. Deadline to submit: July 14.
How to participate:
1. Find out what your favorite sushi restaurants are serving. It's a way to start a conversation and get chefs thinking about what types of fish they use, where it comes from and how it's caught. Print out this survey and bring it with you to the restaurant.
2. Review their menu and ask your server or sushi chef these questions. If they ask, "Why you are you so curious?", tell them you're helping the Seafood Watch program with some of its market research.
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